Akron, OH
Census place 3901000 · pop 189,247
The "Rubber Capital of the World," birthplace of Goodyear and Firestone and hometown of LeBron James.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
19.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
20.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
42.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-4.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$48,076 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
23.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
33.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
50.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.60% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
89.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
23.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
86/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,128/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$122,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Not measured for Akron: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Akron, OH a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Akron scores 39/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is adult smoking. Ohio overall ranks #28 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Akron, OH expensive to live in?
- Akron has a median home value of $122,000 and typical rent around $1,128/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Akron, OH?
- Its weakest measured area is adult smoking (19.6%) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Akron, OH best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($122,000) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: The "Rubber Capital of the World," birthplace of Goodyear and Firestone and hometown of LeBron James.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.